Exhaust valve for internal-combustion engines



May 23, 1950 A. F. LUKES EXHAUST VALVE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 22, 1946 Patented May 23, 1950 EXHAUST VALVE FOR INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINES -Adolph F. Lukes, Waterlomlowa -Applicaition April '22, IMGfSeI-il N 0366397 -70 :11 zThis invention relates :to; an exhaust valve :for internal combustion ienginesland particularly to a valve for protecting. that-opening 10fa vertical internal engine. exhaustupipe which exhausts gases from the engine to the atmosphere.

Itis-an objectaof the invention to provide an exhaust valve for the purpose described which is substantially permanently secured to the exhaust pipe; of the engine and; which does not interfere with the free exhaust of gases and :atthesame time efiectivelyprevents dust, snow, and rain from entering the exhaust pipe when the engine is not operating. If such foreign materials enter the exhaust pipe When-the-Wehicle isstanding outdoors andthe-internal combustion engine-is not operating,- trouble in startingand operation of the engine and-deteriorationof the exhaust pipe and fittingsinevitably result.

' It is alsoan-object of the invention to' dispense with makeshift covers 4 for vertical exhaust pipes for internal combustionengines;such as tin cans and the like,- and to--provide apractical, permanent exhaust valve for excluding foreign matter from such exhaust-pipes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exhaust valve of the type described which is readily opened by the passage of exhaust gases, and further to provide such ready opening by a plurality of slightly counterweighted similarly shaped pivoted flaps which cooperate to close the top of the exhaust pipe when the engine is idle.

It is another object of the invention to form the exhaust valve of a minimum of stamped parts to reduce the cost thereof and utilize as few dies as possible; more particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide two dies to make three stamped parts which, with pivot pins, form the entire valve.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the acccmpanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the exhaust valve applied to the top of an exhaust pipe, the dot and dash lines showing the flaps in the open position;

Figure 2 is a side view of the exhaust valve "-ifi igureifiisissa detail-. perspectiuerzview. .ofzrt-he collar swhich zsnmoun'dsaithe exhausti.pipe sand supports thetzflaps.

,Refe1IiI1g rtoxithezidrawing forreaxrletailed; clescrip'tion-Iof thezinuentionyqnumera l:,olesignates a col1ar;whichiisipreferahlmiormedzfrom aisingle flat; Sheetofliixll'lfiitHhWh-iCh zisjpuncheclztoatorm slots l'2sfromzwhichrtoiinzears lteare-bent. iLHoles 14. arelprov-idectin :thesears ;I,3..sAft;er cutting and bending the earsgthefiatisheetnf metalgisxrolled andeaznutiand'boltell'nandeit .pulluverticalwedges l ztogetherrbyc passing: through ehQlGSs: J 8: inthe edges: 1'1.solthaixtheacollarrmam lberreadilyl slid ovenzanegexhaustmipezl Snotsanzinternab,combustionzengine. rnot-ltshown) Two preferablyasimilarisheet metal claps; generally.:indicatedzbwtheznumerahzl are formed of: sheet: metalzinzthe' samejzd-ie; andzcompriseaa flat; portion zizzhavingsyfianged yerticalredgess 2,3, shouldered .atZIZlkEndibenE slightlynoutwardly above theishouldersgand asrounded projectiorrzii on the. .hottompf :t-he flataportionetcr; fornraastep. Holes 25;are: -provided Tin;'the:i bpttomsr-of the flangesifizz and a: piYOtepiIIiZ'l cfor :eachilartZ Lextendsthroughithe holes :2 tzirnthelsflaprandholes I4 in the ears l3 to pivotally support the flaps 2| on the ears I3.

As is apparent from Figure 1, when the flaps 2| are in the closed position, the shoulders 24 are substantially horizontal and the flanges 23 above the shoulders meet in a substantially vertical line, while the tops of the fiat portions 22 of the flaps 2| meet in a substantially horizontal line. The top of the exhaust pipe I9 is, therefore, completely and effectively covered to prevent the ingress of snow, rain or dust. Furthermore, it will be noted that the center of gravity of the flaps 21 is above and slightly inwardly of the pivot pins 21, so that gravity normally retains the flaps in the closed position shown in the full lines of Figure 1.

However, when the engine is operating, the pressure of the exhaust gases strikes the flat surfaces 22 of the flaps 2| and the flaps pivot about the pins 21 and assume the position shown in dot and. dash lines in Figure 1, thus permitting unrestricted exhaust of gases from the exhaust pipe 19. It is obvious that at this time foreign matter will not enter the exhaust pipe, or if snow or rain does enter, it is quickly vaporized by the hot exhaust gases. The steps 25 strike the collar H and prevent further rotation of the flaps, the center of gravity thereof still remaining above and inwardly of the pivot pins 21, so that upon cessation of the passage of exhaust gases, the

flaps 21 fall by gravity to the full line position shown in Figure 1.

Although I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of m invention, manifestly it is susceptible of modification and rearrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precise form herein disclosed, except as I may be so limited by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an exhaust valve for use with an upwardly extending exposed terminal portion of an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, a collar member formed of a single sheet of material having two pairs of oppositely facing ears punched and projecting therefrom, said projecting pairs of ears lying in vertical planes and supporting horizontal pins extending between each pair of ears, said sheet material being bent to form the annular collar and to position the two pairs of ears diametrically, means for securing the ends of the collar together to clamp said collar on said exhaust pipe, a plurality of substantially identical flaps, each having a pair of oppositely facing flanges thereon, said flanges having apertures therein adapted to pivotally mount said flaps on said horizontally extending pins, said flaps being adapted to cover said exhaust pipe when the engine is idle and to uncover the exhaust pipe when the engine is running and exhaust gases are forced against said flaps, and means for limiting the uncovering movement of said flaps to a position insuring movement of said flaps toward closed position upon reduction of pressure of the exhaust gases.

2. In an exhaust valve for use with an upwardly extending exposed terminal portion of an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, a pair of flaps for covering and uncovering said open end of the exhaust pipe, said flaps being identical in shape, a collar secured to said pipe for pivotally supporting said flaps, said collar being formed of a single sheet of material bent to cylindrical shape, said flaps each being formed of a single piece and comprising a substantially rectangular flat surface, a pair of flanges bent to oppositely facing positions at substantially right angles to said fiat surface, and a curved tab projected from the bottom edge of the flap, said flaps being positioned so that the exhaust gases impinge against the flat surface so as to open the flaps, the curved tab projecting from the bottom edge of the flap positioned to cooperate with the exhaust stack to limit the opening movement of the flaps to a position insuring movement of said flaps toward closed position upon reduction of pressure of the exhaust gases, said oppositely facing flanges having apertures therein adjacent their lower ends for pivotally mounting the flap upon said collar, the upper portion of said flanges being wedge-shaped and tapering to a vertex at the upper edge of said flap, said wedge-shaped portions of the flanges of one flap cooperating with similar wedge-shaped portions of the flanges of the other flap to form side closures of the region above the terminal portion of the exhaust pipe and the upper edges of the flat surfaces of the flaps also cooperating with each other to form a closure.

ADOLPH F. LUKES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Harmon et al June 10, 1947 

